Minneapolis Connects December Newsletter

City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 12/27/2019 01:46 PM CST

Dec. 27, 2019

Critical times for democracy: census and election, learn more at the Community Connections Conference

Two significant moments for democracy are coming up soon, the 2020 census and the presidential nominating primary election. Join us and others in the community on Feb. 1 to discuss how these events will affect you, your family and your community at the Community Connections Conference.

The theme for the 2020 Community Connections Conference is “We count,” a call to action to get involved in decision-making by getting counted in the U.S. census; voting; joining an advisory committee or neighborhood board; learning about important local issues and City policies such as housing, immigration and wage theft; or volunteering.

About the census

April 1, 2020, is census day in the United States. This vital count of the population determines funding for important things such as schools and cities, as well as how many representatives we get in Congress.

It is critical for everyone in Minneapolis to answer the census questionnaire, and we must work to ensure that no one goes uncounted because of fear, misinformation, language or any other barriers.

At the Community Connections Conference, you can learn about the census, how to get involved, how to complete the census, how we use its data, the challenges Minneapolis faces, and how we’re working to ensure that everyone counts in 2020.

2020 census jobs available

The U.S Census Bureau is recruiting to fill thousands of census positions in Hennepin County, offering a rate of $27.50 per hour. Visit 2020census.gov/jobs to earn extra income while helping your community.

City’s wage theft prevention ordinance takes effect Jan. 1

Soon workers in Minneapolis will have an additional avenue to recover unpaid wages when the City’s wage theft prevention ordinance goes into effect Jan. 1. The City adopted parts of the state’s new wage theft law into local ordinance earlier this year to allow the City to enforce it in Minneapolis. Under the ordinance, employers must do the following:

Provide employees with written pre-hire notices of certain employment terms; notices must be signed by employees.

City Council adopts 2020 City budget

The City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey have approved a roughly $1.5 billion City budget for 2020.

Of the total City budget, about 20 percent is funded through property taxes. The budget includes a 6.95% increase in the property tax levy from 2019 to 2020. Highlights of the adopted 2020 City budget include:

$31 million in City funding for affordable housing.

$2.73 million for the City’s violence prevention efforts.

New investments in sustainability and climate action work.

$2.7 million for the new Commercial Property Development Fund, which will provide capital for commercial real estate development in Cultural Districts.

City Council approves Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan

The City Council has approved the Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan, which outlines key steps for the next three years to advance the City’s goal of ending traffic deaths and injuries on City streets by 2027.

The Vision Zero Action Plan includes 16 strategies and 72 actions to be implemented between 2020 and 2022. Highlights include:

City Council approves inclusionary zoning policy to increase development of affordable housing

The City Council has adopted an inclusionary zoning policy to increase the production of affordable housing units in new residential development projects in Minneapolis.

The policy is one of several strategies the City has implemented to address the affordable housing crisis. It supports the affordable housing goals of Minneapolis 2040, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which takes effect Jan. 1. As the City implements new zoning consistent with Minneapolis 2040, opportunities to increase the supply of housing and create new housing options will expand throughout the city. The inclusionary zoning policy ensures that affordable homes are built in exchange for increased development capacity. Read more…

Minneapolis homes for sale will now get energy efficiency score

Prospective homebuyers will soon have information on a house’s energy efficiency before they decide to buy it – like knowing the miles per gallon of a car. Sellers have a Truth in Sale of Housing evaluation, and starting Jan. 15, that document will also include an energy disclosure report showing the home’s “energy score.” The higher the score, the more efficient and resilient to weather extremes the property is.

The energy disclosure report helps buyers and sellers determine what energy efficiency improvements they can make to lower their energy use and reduce carbon emissions. Read more…

Ordinance prohibits ‘conversion therapy’ in Minneapolis

The City Council has approved an ordinance prohibiting “conversion therapy” in Minneapolis. What is called conversion therapy (also reparative therapy) refers to treatment based on the discredited premise that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) is a mental disorder that can be cured or corrected. Medical, mental health and child welfare experts have denounced this practice as ineffective, unreliable and unsafe. Read more…

City Council approves resolution reaffirming support for resettlement of refugees in Minneapolis

Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council have approved a resolution reaffirming the City’s pledge to be a welcoming city that strongly supports the resettlement of refugees in Minneapolis.

The resolution follows an executive order issued by President Trump that for the first time instructs federal officials to seek written consent from state and local governments before they can accept refugees in their communities. Read more…

The Minneapolis ordinance requiring retail establishments to charge a fee of at least 5 cents for carryout bags will go into effect Jan. 1. Shoppers bringing their own bags will reduce litter and trash, recycling problems and waste.

Exemptions include bags used for produce, bulk foods, small items, carryout restaurants, farmers markets, food banks, retail establishments that do not possess a cash register; secondhand bags, bags sold in packages, dry cleaning bags, bags given out with no transaction; bags given at hospitals, car dealerships and car washes; and bags used for litter cleanup. Read more…

Batteries no longer accepted in Minneapolis recycling, some may go in trash

The dangers of flammable batteries have caused changes in pickup policy. Effective immediately, Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling is changing how it collects batteries from homes. No batteries may go with the recycling. You can look up how to dispose of batteries and other materials on Solid Waste and Recycling’s “What To Do List” here.

Hennepin County will accept batteries at its permanent drop-off locations in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park. It will also accept batteries at hazardous waste drop-off events located around Minneapolis in the spring, summer and fall. Read more…

Remember to shovel sidewalks and shovel around your garbage carts

Sidewalks are a critical part of our city’s transportation system, and they should be open for everyone. That’s why Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall for houses and duplexes, and four daytime hours for all other properties.

Failure to shovel your walk could lead to a bill to pay for the cost of crews shoveling it.

Minneapolis Connects is published by the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations department (NCR). If you have stories or community events that should be included in next month's edition, email rebekah.tedrick-moutz@minneapolismn.gov.

For questions, accommodations or alternative formats, please contact Neighborhood and Community Relations at 612-673-3737 or email us at ncr@minneapolismn.gov. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.